My colleagues at work was hijacking today, because I was the only one who got the day off thanks to the legal vacation in Manitoba. That said, I see no benefits of the day off because the Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is a day that “honors the children who have never returned home and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities”. That is a difficult subject to tackle a hockey blog, but there are cases where hockey paths crossed with residential schools, so that hockey fans have to spend a few moments to think about this. One of the lowest moments of Canada cannot be forgotten.
Fred Sasakamoose is perhaps the most famous hockey player who has endured the residential school system, and the former Black Hawks player and his brother were forced by Canadian authorities in a truck where they were brought to a residential school in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan. While Sasakamoose learned to play hockey at the school, the trauma that he endured was cruel – raped by fellow students and violently punished by school officials. The abuse that Sasakamoose survived was a horrible period in his life that lasted almost a decade, and we cannot overlook, apologize or ignore how this happened. His story is one of the many that we should know on this day.
By saying that, I went to pick up the memoirs of Sasakamoose, Call me IndianRecently because I really think I need to know more about Mr. Sasakamoose. I will admit that I don’t know enough about the trauma that Mr. Sasakamoose has suffered and what he conquered to play eleven NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks. I am going to read his memoirs today, so that I can honor his inheritance better by understanding what he has endured. I owe that at least.
There are also a number of good online sources to read. The story of Eugene Arcand Comes in five parts, but he credits Fred Sasakamoose as his hero and friend who opened his eyes.
“One of the things that Gordie said to me that day was:” Freddy [Sasakamoose] Did not get a fair shake in Chicago. “That stayed with me for the rest of the time. And that was the second time that someone who knew about Fred’s time in Chicago had said something that happened. For Gordie to say that about Freddy, it really meant something. Gordie had the longest career in hockey, but he knew everything about Freddy’s short career. And how relevant was it for my two heroes to be connected like that? “
In 2014, Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner Willie Littleechild, who was also a survivor of a residential school, indicates his survival in that period of his life to hockey as told to CBC’s Duncan McCue. He said,
“I owe my survival to hockey,” says Littleechild, who went to the Ermineskin Indian Residential School for 14 years.
“He was physically and sexually abused there, but played Varsity Hockey at the University of Alberta, where he studied law.
“If I didn’t graduate, what was the alternative? I could have been found on the street in Edmonton on Skid Row because of alcohol. So it’s really so strong for me, the influence of hockey in my life.”
In all three men’s stories, hockey was an escape from a life full of pain, abuse, relegation and violence. That does not mean that hockey deserves a pat on the back, but it was the escape that these men forget the abuse that they were walking for a few hours.
As the producer of HBIC, I acknowledge the role that I can play in supporting the calls for action by the National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation. I also understand that before real, meaningful change can happen, the truth must be heard and understood, and only then can the path be made clear for reconciliation. This commitment can only start with understanding and tackling systemic racism, discrimination and marginalization experienced by indigenous communities in Canada.
As part of this, my way starts to understand the truth about residential schools and the pain and losses suffered by indigenous communities, with listening and reading more stories from survivors of the residential school. Fred Sasakamoose’s Memoir, Call me IndianIs where I start that path on this national truth and reconciliation day, and I look forward to getting a better understanding of the tragedy and horrors that he saw and experienced through his story.
Knowing that mistakes were committed is different from hearing how dark that period was for survivors of residential school. Hockey is not the good guy in this story, but only a small piece of what was one of the worst periods in Canadian history. We can’t forget that.
And because it has to be said, the HBIC headquarters are located in original countries of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene Peoples, and on the national home country of the Red River Métis. I respect the treaties made in these areas, I acknowledge the damage and mistakes of the past, and I am wide myself to continue in collaboration with indigenous communities in a spirit of reconciliation and cooperation.
Let’s work together until next time for a better future!
#Truth #reconciliation #day